Heathrow offers to reduce night flights for third runway

Heathrow Airport today offered to curb night flights and cut air pollution in a bid to win government backing for third runway.

Heathrow have today pledged to reduce night flights and noise pollution in a bid to satisfy residents currently opposing the construction of a third runway at the airport, after waiting for a decision from the government in what is described as “years of political dithering”.

Last year, an independent commission reported that a third runway at Heathrow was the recommended option to improve airport capacity, however the government expressed concerns regarding pollution, noise and compensation, which continues to delay the final decision on if it should go ahead.

The Davies Commission recommended the restrictions, and Heathrow has now gone above them in order to get the runway built.

Heathrow said it will allow a longer quiet period overnight, with flights not allowed to land between 11pm and 5.30am, from their current 11.30pm finish and 4.30am start.

All airport buses will meet low emissions standards and a fleet of electric vehicles will be used ‘airside’.

Heathrow Chief Executive, John Holland-Kaye, said he was confident they could create a “cleaner, quieter Heathrow delivering more for the UK economy and that clears the way for the prime minister to make the right choice to expand Heathrow and deliver a stronger economy”.

Opposition organisations have criticised the airport’s bosses for not keeping to agreements in the past, such as the construction of Terminal 5, which was built in exchange for a promise that there would not be another runway built.

Mr Holland-Kaye said:” We have had no more cars on the road over the last 25 years even though Heathrow has almost doubled in the last 25 years and that is because we’ve invested in better road connections, better bus services and better rail services and that is part of our plan.

“We can make sure Heathrow expands within EU air quality limits.”

Heathrow’s move comes less than a week after anti-runway campaigner Zac Goldsmith failed to get elected as London’s new Mayor.

 

The post Heathrow offers to reduce night flights for third runway appeared first on UK Construction Online.